The Green Bay Packers were not going to pay A.J. Hawk $10 million in 2011, but his brief journey to the free-agent market certainly could have helped him in his bid for a contract extension.
Hawk’s representatives and the Packers are dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s in his new contract today, a deal that will be completed before the end of business today. The team released him on Wednesday afternoon and quickly “a bunch of teams tried to get their foot in the door” to sign Hawk, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Hawk was free to go anywhere but it was clear all along that the Packers intended to bring him back. Now, both sides will be happy.
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune